The creation of vocalizing dolls provided a substantial increase in the entertainment and amusement value as well as the realism found in play figures and dolls and the like. While a great variety of vocalizing dolls and play figures have been developed, the most common include an internal vocalizing apparatus supported and usually hidden within the doll or toy figure together with one or more activating switches for controlling the vocalizing apparatus. A further refinement of such vocalizing toy figures and dolls occurred with the creation of vocalizing dolls which were responsive to play action, motion, or appendage articulation. In such improved vocalizing dolls, the sound production and often the selection vocalized is influenced or controlled by one or more of the above.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,755,960 issued to Tepper, et al. sets forth a DOLL GIVING PARTICULAR VOCAL RESPONSES ON MOVEMENT OF PARTICULAR APPENDAGES in which a doll includes a hollow body containing a talking mechanism. A selected appendage is movably supported on the body and mechanical coupling means within the body are coupled to the appendage and to the talking mechanism. The motion of the coupled appendage is transmitted through the coupling mechanism to the talking mechanism actuator and produce vocal responses in accordance with the appendage motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,245 issued to Stowell, et al. sets forth a VOCALIZING APPARATUS for use in a doll in which a speech synthesizer is controlled by a digital controller. A memory within the controller stores information representing the vocabulary of infant-like sounds to be produced. A motion detector such as a gravity actuated switch activates the controller to cause the synthesizer to produce a pattern of sounds corresponding to the position of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,669 issued to Hsieh sets forth a SOUNDING DEVICE FOR DOLLS in which a sound producer is supported within the upper body cavity of a doll. A press cam and resist cam disposed on a common pivotable cam shaft is coupled to the doll's arm. The sound produced upon rotating of the doll's arm is controlled by cam actuation of the switch contacts of the sound producing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,653 issued to McKeefery sets forth a SPEAKING TOY DOLL in which a voice actuating unit is supported within the doll body and a plurality of switches are distributed about the doll bodY. The selection of vocalized messages is determined by the switch pressed and a general relationship exists between the switch location on the doll body and the type of message produced. A gravity actuated power switch is also supported within the doll body to conserve power by shutting the unit off during periods of inactivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,335 issued to Rumsey sets forth a SPEECH UNIT FOR DOLLS AND OTHER TOYS in which a speech producing mechanism having the capability of producing a variety of selected words or phrases is coupled to a gravity sensing apparatus which produces an output signal corresponding to the orientation of the sensing apparatus with respect to gravity. Thus, a variety of messages are played or vocalized in response to a variety of positions or orientations of the speech unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,142 issued to Berliner sets forth a DOLL WITH CONTROLLED MOUTH ACTUATION IN SIMULATED SPEECH in which a doll head is formed of flexible self-supporting material and defines a mouth and surrounding lips. A motor driven actuator is coupled to the mouth and lips to provide lip motion between open and closed positions to simulate speech. A central processing unit and speech synthesizing system are operative during simulated speech motions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,171 issued to Cummings sets forth a TALK BACK DOLL in which a toy figure in the form of a doll contains an acceleration switch which, when closed by moving the doll, momentarily connects a battery to a microcomputer. By means of a microphone and zero crossing counting technique, the microcomputer recognizes certain basic words. A voice synthesizer produces a selected word or group of words in response to predetermined recognized received words to simulate a "talk back" operation of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,911 issued to Klose, et al. sets forth an INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATING TOY FIGURE DEVICE in which an electronic toy doll includes electronic control circuitry responsive to the selection of one of a plurality of switches on the doll housing. The electronic circuitry selects associated vocal messages in response to switch actuation. The message selection permits a problem solution mode of operation in which the user is given a message selected by a weighted probability and the doll responds according to how the user responds to the various switch response operations possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,338 issued to Wexler sets forth a DOLL WITH SOUND GENERATOR AND PLURAL SWITCH MEANS in which a crying sound generator is supported within a doll body together with a plurality of switches for actuating the sound generator. The switch mechanisms may be operated by manipulating the doll, by giving it a bottle, by changing its diaper or by picking it up and padding its back. In a play sequence, the sound generator continues to produce crying sounds until the appropriate play action has been initiated upon the doll whereupon the crying ceases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,927 issued to Dankman, et al. sets forth a VOICE RESPONSIVE TALKING TOY in which a sound producing and receiving mechanism is located within a toy. In response to a complex sound such as human speech, the toy generates a train of audio pulses. The pulses are pseudorandom with respect to frequency, composition and duration thus simulating speech.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,200 issued to Noll sets forth an ELECTRONIC AND MANUALLY ANIMATED TALKING DOLL in which an animated doll is adapted to reproduce a transcribed voice from a tape recording. A mechanism is provided which produces facial motion of the doll timed in relation to the reproduced audio voice.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,899 issued to Bonanno, et al. sets forth a DOLL HAVING ELECTRICAL ACTION PRODUCING MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO ACTUATORS ON SEPARATE ARTICLES in which a doll supports an internal battery power supply and drive motor together with mechanical articulating means coupled between the motor and the doll appendages. The appendage motion is controlled in response to a plurality of actuators on the doll bodY. The actuators are stimulated by the insertion of one of several items such as diaper pins or nursing bottle nipples.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,980 issued to Hellman sets forth a TALKING DOLL AND THE LIKE in which a talking mechanism is supported within a doll body. The character of speech produced is controlled by a plurality of switches actuated by motion of a doll appendage such as the arm.
While the foregoing described prior art devices provide some measure of entertainment value in association with vocalizing dolls and toy figures, they are often costly to produce and complex in their operation In addition, many are unable to respond to degrees of motion and play action of the doll figure. There remains, therefore, a need in the art for a vocalizing doll having appendage motion responsive speech production which avoids the high cost and complexity associated with the prior art devices.